When Beethoven's brother, Caspar Carl, died on the 15th November 1815, he left a will which sparked off a legal battle between Beethoven and his sister-in-law, Johanna van Beethoven, concerning the guardianship of his nephew Karl. After four years of constant disputes, during which the guardianship changed several times, Beethoven finally turned to the Court of Appeal. In the draft of the memorandum, Beethoven refers to the magistrate's reports and outlines in no uncertain terms the state of affairs from his point of view. The original is a forty-eight page document, in which Beethoven gives free rein to his thoughts. It is characterized by numerous alterations, deletions and additions, and the style clearly shows how emotional this matter was. Beethoven's petition to the Court of Appeal proved successful: he was appointed guardian of his nephew Karl in April 1820.